English Lead

24/01/17

Oracy – The ability to express oneself coherently and to communicate freely with others by word of
mouth. (Wilkinson, 1965). Talk is the foundation of literacy.

Competence in spoken language is essential for writing composition. Understanding spoken

language is essential for reading comprehension.

Acquire a wide vocabulary, an understanding of grammar and knowledge of linguistic conventions

for reading, writing and spoken language.

Reading and Writing float on a sea of talk.

‘As reading comprehension has now been shown to depend crucially on language comprehension,
teachers also need to have good knowledge and understanding of oral language development, and
of ways to foster language comprehension.’ (Rose, 2006 p40).

The development of language:

Two elements – Communication and representation.

Communication – The transmission of meanings. To communicate effectively, children need to

develop receptive (able to understand the language they hear) and expressive (convey own thoughts
and feelings) language skills.

Language is vital in the learning process. Learning is strongly influenced through the teacher and
listening passively to the teacher gives pupils the potential to learn. Classroom dialogue contributes
to children’s intellectual development and their educational attainment.

‘Talk in learning is not a one-way linear communication but a reciprocal process in which ideas are
bounced back and forth and on that basis take children’s learning forward’. (Alexander, 2004, pg.
48).

Effective pacing and timing, effective demonstrations and modelling of a particular skill or procedure
etc.

Children working in small groups with their peers, sharing a problem, exchanging ideas and opinions,
considering and evaluating each other’s ideas, building up shared knowledge and understanding –
thinking together and thinking aloud – The kind of talk that teachers should aim to develop.

ENGLISH DIRECTED TASK